Car-fender.



N0- 829,289. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906.

W. PIGKET'I' CAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY29, 1905.

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No.829,'289. PATENTEDAUG.21, 1906. W.PIGKETT.

UAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29. 1905.

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ms NORRIS PETERS c0. WASHINGTON w c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM PICKETT, OF WEST LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CA R F E N D E R Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that- I, WILLIAM PIOKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Fenders, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car-fenders.

The objects of the invention are to improve and simplify the construction of such devices; furthermore, to increase their elliciency in operation and to decrease the expense attending their manufacture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed as a practical embodiment thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the improved fender attached to a car. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the fender after it has been operated. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the device in a position illustrated by Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the position illustrated by Fi 2.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the forward platform of a street-railway car which is provided with any suitable form of dashboard 2. Projecting forward from the platform 1 is a bracket-arm 3, on the forward extremity of which is mounted an upwardlyextending rod 4, which is surrounded by a coil-spring 5. Connected with the rod 4, as indicated at 6, is what I shall for convenience term a pivotal member 7, which preferably consists of a piece of stout metal bent downward, as indicated at 8, and upward, as indicated at 9, on the opposite side of the car. The lower end of the coil-spring 5 is secured to a pin 1 1 upon the bracket 3, and the upper free end 12 of said coil-spring bears against the pivotal member 7 in such manner as to cause said pivotal member to swing forward in the manner hereinafter described after said pivotal member has been released by striking against an object or person in the path of the car. J ournaled in the portions 8 and 9 of the pivotal member 7, as indicated at 13 14, is a rotary shaft 15, on which is rigidly mounted what I shall for convenience term a guard-board 16, having the lower end thereof curled, as indicated at 17. One

end of the shaft 15 is equipped with a ratchetwheel 18, having a portion of the teeth stripped therefrom, as indicated at 19 in Fig. 2. Cooperating with the ratchet-wheel 18 is a pawl 20, which is fulcrumed at 21 upon the upright portion 9 of the pivotal member 7 and is formed with a rearward extension 22. By means of the pawl 20 and ratchet-wheel 18 the lower edge of the guard-board 16 can be adjusted to any desired position above the surface of the ground. If the guard-board should be adjusted so that its lower edge were almost in contact with the ground and if the car should be traversing an uneven stretch of track, so that the guard-board should strike the ground, said board would be moved upward until the pawl 20 engaged the next lower tooth 23 of the ratchet-wheel 18, for which reason the guard-board would be held in a slightly more elevated position. If the guard-board should again strike the ground and be raised still higher, the pawl 20 would move along the stripped portion of the ratchet-wheel, and as soon as the rough place should have been passed the uardboard would descend to the position it had formerly occupied, with the pawl 20 in engagement with the tooth 23. The pawl 20 preferably is held in engagement with the ratchet-wheel 18 by means of a coil-spring 24.

Pivotally mounted upon the shaft 15 is what I shall for convenience term a receptacle 25, which comprises a yoke-shaped strip of metal the ends of which are erforated and surround the shaft 15. The yokeshaped piece of metal is provided with a suitable wire-netting to form a receptacle adapted to receive any object or person which has been struck by the car. The receptacle 25 is provided with the rearwardly-extending arm 26, which is adapted to rest upon a pin 27, which extends laterally from an upright 28, mounted upon the bracket 3. The arm 26 serves to hold the receptacle 25 in the position illustrated by Figs. 1 and 3 Without permitting said receptacle to rest against the dashboard 2.

Pivotally mounted upon the platform 1 of the car, as indicated at 29, is a catch 30, which is formed with an upwardly-extending perforated end 31, the perforation of which is adapted to receive a pin 32 upon the pivotal member 7.

Mounted upon the platform 1 is an upright 33, the upper end 34 of which is bent forward on an incline to form a cam member adapted to engage the rearward extension 22 of the pawl 20, so as to trip the same out of engagement with the ratchet 18 in the manner hereinafter described.

Constructed as hereinbefore described, the improved device is operated in the following manner: When the car is in movement and the guard-board 16 strikes against an object in the path of the car, the ivotal member 7 is caused to swing rearward against the tension of the coil-spring 5 for a sufficient distancethat is, an inch or two-to cause the pin 32 to become disengaged from the perforation in the upward extension 31 of the catch 30. As soon as such disengagement has been accomplished, the catch 30 drops by gravity out of the path of the pivotal member 7, so that the coil-spring 5 is permitted to exert its force to swing the pivotal member 7 forward into the position shown by Figs. 2 and 4. As soon as the pivotal member 7 begins to swing forward, the arm 26 of the receptacle 25 becomes disengaged from the arm 27 of the upright 28, so that the receptacle 25 is permitted to drop by gravity into the position shown in Fig. 2. The receptacle 25 is prevented from descending lower than the horizontal position illustrated in Fig. 2 by the arm 26, which is contact with the lower portion of the pivotal member 7.

At the moment that the guard-board 16-, while in the position illustrated by Figs. 1 and 3, strikes against an object in the path of the car and causes the pivotal member 7 to swing rearward fora slight distance the extension 22 of the pawl 20 rides down the cam member 34 and causes the pawl 20 to be lifted out of engagement with the ratchet 1-8, so as to permit the guard-board 16 to drop by gravity into an almost or approximately vertical position and prevent the object from passing under the car. Then as the pivotal member swings forward {into the position illustrated by Figs. 2 and 4 the object will be pushed off to one side of the car. In the case of a person in an upright position, the

receptacle 25 as it drops approximately into horizontal position will serve as a basket to catch the person and prevent him from being run over by the car.

The improved apparatus of this invention is strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive in' construction as well as thoroughly efficient in operation.

Changes in the precise embodiment of invention illustrated and described may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. A car having an automatically-adjustable guard-board, and a pivotally-mounted receptacle, and means to simultaneously operate the receptacle and permit the guardboard to drop to lowest position.

2. A car having a pivotally-mounted receptacle arranged to swing forward'in a horizontal plane, and a simultaneously-operated i guard-board.

3. A car having a pivotal member on the forward end thereof, and an automaticallyadjustable guard-b0ard mounted on said pivotal memberi 4. A car having a pivotal member on the forward end thereof, and a pivotally-mounted receptacle on said pivotal member.

5. A car having a pivotal member on the forward end thereof, an automatically-adjustable guard-board on said pivotal member, and a pivotally-mounted receptacle on said pivotal member.

6. A car having a pivotal member on the forward end thereof, a rotary shaft on theivotal member, a guard-board connected with the rotary shaft, a ratchet on the rotary shaft, a pawl cooperating with the ratchet, and means operated by the movement of the pivotal member for disengaging the pawl from the ratchet.

7. A car having a rotary shaft, a guardboard connected with the shaft and a pawl and ratchet for effecting automatic adjustment of the guard-board.

8. A car havin a rotary shaft, a guardb'oard connected t erewith, a ratchet mounted on the shaft and having a portion of its teeth stripped away, and a pawl cooperating with the ratchet.

. 9 A car having a pivotal member, a coil spring for operating the pivotal member, a

catch for holding the pivotal member-against 

